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Role of a building inspector

Registered building inspectors carry out regulated building control activities, which are:

• assessing plans
• inspections
• giving advice to building control bodies that carry out regulated functions

Building control bodies

Registered building inspectors (RBIs) work for building control bodies, either as employees or contractors. Building control bodies are:

• the Building Safety Regulator (BSR)
• local authorities
• registered building control approvers

Before you apply to register as a building inspector

You will need to decide:

• the building types you are competent to work on
• the registration class you should apply for
• if you are competent to assess plans or carry out inspections, or both

To help you decide, you should read the building inspector competence framework for the country you are applying to work in:

• building inspector competence framework for England (hse.gov.uk)
• building inspector competence framework for Wales (gov.wales)

The competence framework sets out the skills, knowledge and qualifications required for your registration application.

To apply to register as a class 2, 3 or 4 building inspector, you will need to complete, or be enrolled on, an independent competency assessment. If you apply to register without being assessed, you will be registered as a class 1 building inspector and can only work under supervision.

Building types

To apply to register as a building inspector, you will need to decide which types of building you are competent to work on. There are:

• standard and non-standard buildings
• 8 different building categories

Standard buildings???

A standard build is designed and constructed from common industry recognised standards and codes.

Non-standard buildings??

A non-standard build are buildings that include anything outside of common construction techniques in England or Wales. They do not follow industry recognised design principles set out in relevant building guidance codes, such as:???

• approved documents, which provide guidance for some common building situations???
• British Standards???
• technical documents, for example the Health technical memoranda (nhs.uk)

Non-standard building work can include:???

• difficult ground conditions??
• buildings with unusual occupancies or high levels of complexity, for example shopping centres occupied by shoppers and workers, conference centres and hospitals????
• very large or very tall buildings?and large timber buildings????
• some buildings that incorporate modern construction methods????

Before a building project starts, building control bodies should identify?if a building is non-standard, due to being:????

• very large????
• very tall????
• large timber buildings

Building categories

The 8 building categories you can register to work on are:

• category A, a residential dwelling house for a single household, less than 7.5 metres in height
• category B, residential flats and dwelling houses, less than 11 metres in height
• category C, residential flats and dwelling houses, 11m or more but less than 18m in height
• category D, all building types and uses, less than 7.5 metres in height, excluding non-standard buildings
• category E, all building types, 7.5 metres or more but less than 11 metres in height, excluding non-standard buildings
• category F, all building types 11 metres or more but less than 18 metres in height
• category G, all building types, including standard and non-standard but excluding higher-risk, with no height limit
• category H, all building types, including higher-risk

Registration classes

To apply to register as a building inspector, youll need to decide which registration class you are competent to apply for. There are 4 classes of RBI.

Class 1

Must only work under supervision. You do not have to complete a competency assessment to register as a class 1 building inspector. This class is suitable for anyone new to the profession who is undergoing training.

Class 2

Can work unsupervised on building categories they are registered to work on, which may include:

• category A
• category B
• category C
• category D
• category E
• category F

Class 3

Can work unsupervised on building categories they are registered to work on, which may include category A to F buildings and:

• category G
• category H

Class 4 technical manager

Technical managers are class 2 or class 3 building inspectors with additional responsibilities for the technical management of teams and processes.

A class 2 building inspector, who is also a class 4 technical manager, cannot carry out any class 3 activities unless supervised.

Someone who is not a registered building inspector can administratively manage a building control team, but not on technical matters.

Competency assessment

To apply to register as a class 2, 3 or 4 building inspector, you must complete a competency assessment from an approved scheme.

You can get a competency assessment by contacting one of the providers of the approved schemes:

• Building Safety Competence Foundation (BSCF)
• Chartered Association of Building Engineers (CABE)
• Total Training Development Ltd

The assessment evaluates your skills, knowledge, experience and behaviours against the relevant building inspector competence framework:

• building inspector competence framework for England (hse.gov.uk)
• building inspector competence framework for Wales (gov.wales)

As part of the assessment you will need to submit a portfolio of your work and pass an exam or an interview. You must be re-assessed at least every 4 years.

After you complete your assessment you will receive a certificate number. You will need to provide the number when you register as proof of your assessment.

Competency assessment extension period

From 6 April to 6 July 2024 experienced building inspectors in England can complete their competency assessment and upgrade their registration.

If you are a trainee registering for class 1, you can continue to work in class 1 under supervision.

If you are eligible, the scope of your registration will be temporarily extended to the class of RBI for which you are undertaking a competency assessment.

Extension period eligibility

If you have not completed your competency assessment to register as a class 2 or 3 RBI (and 4, if applicable), you can continue to work if you meet all of the following criteria:

• you are an existing building control professional
• you are registered as a class 1 RBI by 6 April 2024
• you are enrolled in, and in the process of having your competency assessed through, one of the BSR approved competency assessment schemes by 6 April 2024
• a scheme provider has not told you that you have not passed your competency assessment for a second time

If a scheme p

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